What made you buy the Touring, and seeing the new Elantra, any regrets?

I liked the Touring from the start (dispensed with the Mazda3, Impreza hatchback, don't like anything from Honda this year (I currently drive a Honda).

But then more than a year ago, someone said "Wait until the new Sonata comes out--you might really like that!"

So I waited (I wasn't in a huge hurry anyway, at that time). Too big a car for me.

Then I kept test-driving, and someone said, "A new-trim Elantra's coming out! Wait until the car show so you can see it!"And I waited, liked what I saw, still like what I see and how it drove, but there's a part of me that still really wants the Touring for the hatchback look and function.The other part of me sees the MPG for the Elantra sedan and the sedan's nicer interior and says "Logically, that's a much better vehicle for what you get!" Logic is getting the best of me!

Weigh in on your feelings here.

I think I'm gonna need to go back to the dealer and test drive both again, if they still have an Elantra Ltd on the lot!

(I've also read somewhere that the next generation of the Touring will reflect the changes (style, engine, mpg perhaps) of the new Elantra. So sad it wasn't done for the 2011 model year!)

Comments

I've had my Touring 5sp for over a year now. I love the hatch back for its ability to haul large items. The fuel economy is good too. I can get over 35mpg on highway. It is peppy and fun to drive. What I don't like. Rough ride esp on older freeways. More road and engine noise than my last elantra wagon. Stalls in 1st gear too easily. The tire pressure monitoring is a waste. No cruise control. I would look at the new Ford Focus hatchback. The new cars boasting 40mpg are getting that by reducing weight. Make sure to test drive it on an older bumpy freeway with a strong crosswind to get a real feel for noise and handling.

I have the 2010 ET and am thrilled with it. I definitely do not like the new design of the Elantra: too short in height, poor head and leg room in the back. Rear sloping roofs are dumb. I'm thrilled to have a wagon that has a straight roof line, fits a ton of stuff inside, and comfortably fits 4 adults. I am now crossing my fingers in hoping that H sends us the Sonata Wagon in 2012. My only concern with that car, again, is how short in height it is. I really don't like stuffing myself down into a car. Getting in and out of my Vibe and HET are perfect due to their high stature.

The Sonata Wagon = the I40 Estate wagon which is being released in Europe. If "we" are looking for the "perfect" hatch or wagon we (myself included) should be emailing H & asking them to release the I40 here.

Within the H family there are 2 choices at this time:

1. The Accent 2012 hatch (should arrive very soon). This car may be around the same size as the "old" Elantra hatch which was discontinued around 2007. I had one of these & it was my favorite new car purchase.

2. The Elantra Touring

Within a year there may be 3 H choices:

1. The Accent 2012 hatch

2. The Touring replacement which may be the 2012 Elantra Hatch. If H models the hatch after the Elantra sedan (and not the Touring) they may have a killer combination: A very good riding auto with great mileage and very usable space.

3. The I40. If H release this in the US and it can get the same (or close to) mileage as the current Sonota this auto will be da bomb! I do agree with the comment that it sits lower than the Touring. However, I think higher profile means less mileage. Based on the photos I've seen it will have cavernous cargo space.

Berto

"I am now crossing my fingers in hoping that H sends us the Sonata Wagon in 2012. My only concern with that car, again, is how short in height it is. I really don't like stuffing myself down into a car. Getting in and out of my Vibe and HET are perfect due to their high stature."

After many, many months of looking at different vehicles, I finally did buy the Elantra Touring. I'm enjoying it, with just a few "buts" -- I still can't get the most comfortable seat configuration, and it's making my right leg feel a bit strained; and I still wish that my purchase timing was better -- I'm sure that a redone model will come out in the next year, with better mileage, but honestly I was under my own deadline and couldn't wait. So I really couldn't do anything about that.

And I'm still having a little difficulty parking it well the first time! It's just bigger than my old Civic, which swung perfectly into any spot. Underground garages, with their pillars everywhere, are a pain. It's a learning curve, I know... Good thing I didn't get the Tucson or the Santa Fe, huh? LOL!

But I'm liking the extra little height this gives me, it's roomier than my old Civic, nice cargo space and it's a very nice looking vehicle. I have only about 1300 miles on it, so the mpg isn't where I hope it'll be in another 1000 miles, but it'll get there.

With the heat wave we've been having, I wish there were air vents in the back so that my occasional passengers (like my pup!) could be cooler quicker.

The new Accent hatch is considerably shorter than the old Elantra hatch (I own one of those) and has less interior room (the old Elantra had a mid-sized interior per the EPA). But the Accent hatch might have more cargo room since the old Elantra hatch was a "fastback". I still like the looks of that old Elantra though. My son takes it to college now so I don't get to drive it much anymore.

pup: you'll get used to parking it. The ET has the best visibility I have ever seen in a car. I too cannot drive my wife's ET for too long, since I require at least another inch on the gas pedal. Anyway, let's get that H Sonata Wagon here. It will clean up given the current wagon phobia gripping auto "enthusiasts" :P